Greg Abbott Doesn't Want To Talk About His Koch Problem

Greg Abbott attended a schmaltzy resort gathering of the biggest Republican donors, hosted by none other than the Koch brothers. That would be Charles and David Koch, whose seemingly endless millions in funding launched the Tea Party's infrastructure. Aside from their sparking that astro-turf network, the oil-rich Koch brothers routinely fund efforts to undermine climate science and to beat down renewable energy.

“Amid tight security, traffic was blocked on the road into the secluded luxury site near Albuquerque at the base of the Sandia Mountains,” a reporter explains. But Abbott doesn't want to talk about his time with the Kochs in New Mexico. He has declined to answer questions about it, and his spokespeople won't answer reporters who inquire about the trip. Even Koch Industries is mum.

Abbott was not in New Mexico making dastardly plans with the Koch clan to fill America's rivers with laser-equipped sharks. But he was clearly asking for his agenda from monied interests who have no interest in what's best for Texas.

Read more below the jump.”It's clear that Abbott's litigation is directly in line with what the Kochs would want done,” said Andrew Wheat of Texans for Public Justice.

The Dallas Morning News explains just how aligned Abbott is with the Koch brothers' positions:

Abbott repeatedly has sued the Environmental Protection Agency to stop regulation of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. He has joined other Republicans fighting the health care law.

And he has lamented delays in the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas. A Koch subsidiary has intervened in the project, which opponents describe as a pollution risk.

The invitation-only gathering in August offered wealthy donors a chance to meet and mingle with GOP elected officials and leaders of conservative groups linked to the Kochs.

Abbott's refusal to talk about his Koch ties shows a lack of pride in them. He knows how terrible the Kochs' reputation is, but he has no problem taking their money – or their plane. Koch Industries has gifted Abbott use of a plane worth $7,500 of travel. As of September, the Koch Brothers have given Abbott $45,000 through their political action committee.

The Koch brothers operate in secrecy as much as possible, so it's not known who else was at the ritzy affair. But it's not hard to guess whether they're Abbott supporters. The problem is that Abbott — from poisoning Texas' environment to creating an economy tilted towards the rich — supports them to the exclusion of Texans.

About Author

Ben Sherman has been a BOR staff writer since 2011. A graduate of the University of Texas, Ben has worked on campaigns, in political consulting, and has written for other news outlets like Think Progress. Ben considers campaign finance reform the fundamental challenge of our time because it distorts almost every other issue in American politics.